1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to gaming systems. More particularly, embodiments relate to the use of ticket radio frequency identifiers (RFIDs) to dispense and validate game tickets.
2. Discussion
Paper-based gaming systems come in a wide variety of formats and are increasing in popularity. Indeed, restaurant franchises often sponsor promotional games in which the consumer peels a mask from the side of a paper cup to determine whether he or she has won a prize, and the use of tickets in state-sponsored lotteries is widespread. For example, many states throughout the U.S. employ future draw or “numbers-type” lottery systems in which the user waits until the winning numbers are announced to determine whether the lottery ticket is a winning ticket, as well as instant lottery systems in which the consumer may determine whether the lottery ticket is a winning ticket immediately upon purchase. Instant lottery systems generally use tickets that contain either “predetermined” game data or “probability” game data. In the case of probability game data, the ticket often has a number of “scratch off” regions and the consumer scratches off a subset of the number of regions in accordance with the rules of the particular game being played. For example, the consumer might scratch off five out of seven regions in order to simulate a hand of poker. Thus, the consumer has a relatively high amount of control over whether or not he or she wins and the lottery sponsor has a somewhat reduced amount of control over the total winnings that must be paid out. Predetermined instant tickets, on the other hand, are given their winning or losing nature at the time of creation. For example, the ticket sponsor may determine in advance how many $100 winning tickets, $20 winning tickets, $1 winning tickets, etc., will be dispensed based on expected sales of the tickets. As a result, the ticket sponsor generally has more control over the total winnings to be paid.
In any case, a traditional gaming system involves dispensing the tickets to consumers and validating the tickets when they are presented for redemption. Typically, game tickets are distributed to game ticket retailers in packs, where the game tickets are activated on a pack-by-pack basis before shipment. Activation involves scanning a bar code located on a pack of lottery tickets. The bar code information for the pack is sent over a network connection to a host computer for tracking purposes. It has been determined that in certain instances, individuals such as ticket retailer employees have engaged in an unlawful activity commonly referred to as “fishing” in which the employee attempts to identify the winning tickets in a pack after activation. Identification can involve a wide variety of techniques ranging from holding the tickets up to a light source to applying carefully selected chemicals to the tickets. Indeed, fishing is a substantial concern with regard to instant tickets having predetermined game data. There is therefore a need for an approach to distributing and dispensing instant lottery tickets that minimizes the risk of fishing and other unlawful activities.
When a game ticket is presented to a game ticket retailer for redemption, the ticket is typically validated by scanning a bar code that is printed on the game ticket, where the bar code defines a validation code for the ticket. Generally, the validation code contains information such as a unique ticket number and batch number associated with the ticket. The bar code information is transmitted to the host computer, where the host computer determines whether the information matches a legitimate winning ticket. If so, the host computer notifies the game ticket retailer that the ticket is valid and may be redeemed. Unfortunately, the use of bar coding in the dispensing and validation processes can have a number of difficulties. For example, bar code scanners are known to have reliability problems, particularly when a portion of the bar code has rubbed off while in the possession of the consumer. Although it is possible to manually enter the bar code data, such an approach can be cumbersome and time consuming. Furthermore, bar code scanning equipment is large and relatively expensive. There is therefore a need for an approach to validating game tickets that is not subject to the shortcomings associated with bar codes.